CDRC is a Local Government entity that operates in the Northern Territory, to the north of Alice Springs, with boundaries that go from the Queensland Border to the WA border covering a land area of 282,064km2. The municipal area is home to approximately 4,200 people and spread over eleven Indigenous communities and one town. Council’s workforce of around 240 staff, over 69% of whom are Indigenous, is spread over those twelve locations and also in the Alice Springs based headquarters. The area is home to the most disadvantaged people in the Northern Territory, and CDRC’s core mission is to build sustainable communities through service delivery, advocacy, and community engagement.

CDRC works hard to build sustainable communities through traditional local government services such as rubbish and roads, and provision of community services. CDRC builds local employment pathways through Community Development Program (CDP) provision as well as through increasing flexible local employment opportunities, and ensuring that community services provide culturally appropriate, community-led outcomes. 

Diane Hood, CEO of CDRC, says the award provides recognition of the organisation’s progression through an organisational change process over the last three to four years to improve employee recruitment, engagement and retention.

“Central Desert Regional Council is proud to be recognised as an Employer of Choice at the Australian Business Awards 2021. We have worked hard over a number of years to become a fairer workplace with a ‘no surprises’ culture. This award recognises the effort of all of our staff throughout this period. We work in a challenging environment – physically, geographically and culturally, but our people come to Central Desert Regional Council for a challenge, an adventure and for personal and professional growth. It’s very exciting for our staff to be recognised on a national stage and that a relatively small and isolated organisation can accomplish that. Recruiting to remote indigenous communities is perpetually challenging, our Employer of Choice award will help us to spread the message that we are an organisation that values our staff and that making a decision to live and work in remote Australia can be a positive and rewarding career choice,” said Diane Hood, CEO, CDRC.

As winners of the EOC 2021, CDRC will participate in the international chapter of the program at the World Business Awards.

The CDRC Councillors with MLA Chansey Paech (second from left) and the Executive Management team including CEO Diane Hood.